Wonderful Life
by Of Fans And Flames
Summary: Uchiha Sasuke's brother dies unexpectedly one evening. Sasuke is now completely alone, without friends or family. Later that night, Sasuke is hanging over the Golden Gate Bridge, in the process of taking his life. Everything had gone as planned with one exception: a particularly nosy passerby by the name of Uzumaki Naruto. Inspired by the song: Wonderful Life by HURTS


Sasuke's face was changeless as his slate Ferrari pulled into a large parking structure on the San Francisco side of the Golden Gate Bridge. He betrayed no emotion, and it was effortless. He was in the eye of the tornado, feeling nothing as his world whipped, lashed, and crashed against itself, wood splintering and power sources combusting. He walked briskly, his mind a void as he passed by a blue and white sign every minute or so. He had seen these same signs twice every weekday as he biked to and from work. They read: "There is hope. Make the call. The consequences of jumping from this bridge are fatal and tragic." And only now did they mean a goddamned thing to him.

It was time to leave that tornado for safer ground. The gravity of the situation at hand had yet to infiltrate his heart. He'd spent almost the entire day in the hospital. He hadn't shouted, cried, or screamed, his expression muted and slightly melancholic. And he would leave this place, this world before it hit him. His parents had died when he was fifteen. His brother had been his only crutch. The only one who experienced that same pain of loneliness as he had would become a distant memory. Itachi had become his guardian, his role model. Sasuke had already dealt with his the death of his parents, but Itachi… For him to die now was too much.

They had told Sasuke that Itachi's chemo treatment had been progressing wonderfully. How could things change so quickly? How could a pain in the wrist mean a blood clot in the arm, which meant a blood clot in the heart, which then caused a fatal stroke in less than two days? Sasuke's eyes were covered by dark circles, as he had spent both sleepless nights in the hospital with his brother.

One of Sasuke's subordinates, the vice president of marketing, had told Sasuke months ago that the Golden Gate Bridge was the most popular place to commit suicide in the world. At the time, he had pushed the information away as random trivia. The Uchiha dragged his feet to the rail as the jacket of his well-tailored business suit ruffled behind him in the frigid night wind. He hadn't had time to change after work this morning, his car pressing 90 on the highway towards the hospital after he got the call. He walked out of his most important meeting this month, explaining to the CEO and board of directors that he was having a family emergency. During that phone call, the hospital told him that Itachi had gone into a stroke, and that his condition was rapidly deteriorating. They told him that he would probably not make it through the night. And they were right.

Maybe this loneliness was his own fault. His parents' deaths had been no accident. The world was a spiteful, untrustworthy place. Itachi was the only one he would trust, but now even he was gone. Suicide is a selfish act. That's what everyone says, isn't it? But who would care if he died? Not those saccharine underlings who kissed his ass over breakfast bagels, or that woman on the floor below him with bright red lipstick who kept asking him to coffee… With his authority, who wouldn't want to get on his good side? He had cut the world out since he was a teenager, and his only meaningful bond for the past decade had been obliterated. So what was the point? Tonight, his unlucky family would be wiped off the face of the Earth.

Here. Here looked like a good place. He could see the lights of San Francisco off in the background, Coit Tower, and Alcatraz. His home, in Sausalito, was hidden on the other side of the bridge behind a large hill. Sasuke looked behind him, towards the road. It was a Wednesday night, not any earlier than 2 AM. The streets were mostly deserted, and he doubted anyone would try to stop him. What would be in it for them? Regardless, he should make quick work of this. Taking a deep breath, he walked towards the railing, staring down at the cold water hundreds of feet beneath. He had contemplated buying alcohol on the way, but he didn't need to rely upon that for courage. If he were going to do this, he wanted to be sober. It was a matter of pride.

He climbed the railing. Since he had signed the papers to turn Itachi's machines off, he had felt dead and unmovable. But as he looked down, his palms began to sweat, and his heart insistently made itself known. Lub dub. Lub dub. Perhaps the organ knew that these were its last beats, and it wanted them to be heady and memorable. His hand began to tremble, his shallow breath paining his chest. In his body's final moments, he was coming back to life.

He sat on the rail now, his body facing the water as one of his feet swung. It would only take a few seconds. At this height, the water would smash into his body like concrete. He allowed one of his dress shoes to slide off his foot, quickly fading from sight as the black leather was lost to the darkness. He couldn't hear it hit the water; it had simply disappeared. Just one push off the rail, and all of his loneliness, all of his suffering would be gone forever. This was not cowardice. Yes, he was giving up. But if he actually had something to fight for, he knew he was strong enough to survive.

He heard a whizzing behind him. A bicycle. Sasuke didn't look behind him, didn't move. He sighed as it approached him. If he were going to jump, he should do it now, before the cyclist interfered. But he sat, frozen. Now was his chance. He needed to jump. Why was he hesitating? Whatever the case, he was already mostly over the railing. The stranger would have no time to pull him back if he made an attempt. The cyclist must have picked up speed, because the bike had already stopped behind him. Sasuke held his breath.

"Hey… What are you doing?"

The voice was male, probably a young adult. The tone was unsuspecting. Sasuke said nothing.

"You should get down from there. It's dangerous."

Clearly, this guy wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. Sasuke faced the man behind him, his face blank and profoundly tired. The cyclist was wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans, with bright blond hair and blue eyes. He seemed familiar. Right, Sasuke had seen him at work before. They worked in the same building. Sasuke worked on the top floor, where most of the executive employees resided. They would sometimes pass each other in the lobby or in restrooms. He might not have recognized him if not for those scars on his cheeks – a memorable feature to be sure. Sasuke couldn't remember his name, but he knew that a few months ago, he had fixed Sasuke's computer before a key deadline. However, none of that mattered now.

"Fuck off," Sasuke snarled.

Blue eyes widened as they recognized the man in front of them. This was Uchiha Sasuke, the Chief Operating Officer at Konoha Enterprises, practically next in line to the CEO. His picture was on just about every organizational chart Naruto had been given since he was hired at Konoha Enterprises four years ago as a lowly repair technician. He'd even fixed Mr. Uchiha's computer once. Mr. Uchiha had been on his cell phone for most of that time, but even still, Naruto felt awkward being in the presence of someone so important. He had attempted to make small talk with the executive after the phone call ended, but he hadn't been very successful. Mr. Uchiha had not been rude. But he was clearly busy, and he seemed extraordinarily professional and well put to together for someone who couldn't have been much older than himself.

Every time he had passed Mr. Uchiha, he seemed to be going somewhere important. You didn't have to ask him to know. It was obvious in the way he moved, he eyes facing forward resolutely and his steps brisk and purposeful. It made sense, considering that he was one of the top handful of people at a company with nearly half a million employees. He didn't smile often, but he would occasionally nod or wave at someone else from the top floor and ask them if the income statements were on schedule, or what they thought about the current merger.

Their eyes met, and an unspoken understanding sparked between them. It seemed impossible. Why would someone like Mr. Uchiha, _the_ Uchiha Sasuke, even consider ending his life? He was a millionaire. His name opened more doors than Naruto could even fathom, and women seemed to swarm to him like flies on honey. It was a life Naruto had dreamed of. So why?

"I said get lost!"

Sasuke shouted now, his words snapping Naruto out of his daze.

"Why are you doing this?"

Why didn't he just jump? Right now. He didn't have to entertain this idiot. He didn't owe him any explanations. What was the hold up? Regardless, he turned his body around to face Naruto, sitting precariously on the rail.

"It's none of your business."

Naruto frowned. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Uchiha Sasuke had it together. He couldn't have been any older than thirty, and he was in the upper echelon of a multibillion dollar company. He was smart, attractive, and powerful. He had seemed so strong and stable to Naruto, but he supposed everyone had their demons.

Naruto walked slowly towards Sasuke, raising his hands up to indicate that he wasn't going to try anything funny. Sasuke leaned back towards the water.

"Let me stay and talk to you."

Sasuke eyed Naruto skeptically, his words caustic.

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm a little busy."

Naruto shook his head.

"Look, wherever you were headed will always be there. There's no rush. So what do you have to lose?"

Sasuke paused for a moment, unable to think of a response. This was a waste of time. Nothing that this guy could ever say or do would fix his situation. Nothing would change his mind. But even still, what _did_ he have to lose? This might just be the last conversation of his life. He wondered how it would play out.

The man with the scarred cheeks continued again, "My name's Naruto. I think we met once before."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"I don't give a shit who you are. Just leave."

The harsh night breeze hit the two of them, and Naruto instinctively wrapped himself in his hoodie. The wind seemed to blow right through it, and Sasuke tried not to shiver.

"Do you remember? I fixed your computer. Come to think of it, you were busy that time too. You seem to be a pretty busy guy."

Sasuke grunted, not cooperating with Naruto's attempts to lighten the mood.

"Yes, I remember."

Naruto smiled back. Sasuke's response was at least not a total dismissal.

"I'm honestly shocked you'd remember me. Everyone who works at Konoha knows you, but ah… I'm sure you're aware of that too."

Naruto scratched his cheek, feeling very awkward as Sasuke stared back at him in boredom. God, even in the midst of taking his own life, Sasuke still managed to seem so cool and collected.

"Are you done yet? You better not be expecting a raise out of this."

This was going horribly. Naruto had never done anything like this. He'd talked a few of his friends through depression, but nothing like this… He never thought he'd have to try to talk a total stranger out of jumping off of a bridge. He was in too deep, and he had no idea what he was doing.

"I'm sorry… I have a clumsy mouth. But give me a chance, okay?"

Sasuke was beginning to take a perverse pleasure in this. What was this guy going to say? Was he going to recite some motivational poster from his office wall? What trite, recycled adage was he going to resurrect now? How would this man, who knew nothing of him or his life, make a case for him to get off this bridge?

"And why? What would that solve?"

Naruto furrowed his brows. He was losing this battle. What would he do?

"Please. Please, just don't do this."

Sasuke laughed, but it was bitter.

"And why not?"

Naruto's eyes darted as he searched for words. Sasuke took the reins from him.

"Have I not yet appreciated flowers and sunsets properly? Do I need to live to see another rainbow or hear some more obnoxious kids laughing? Do I still have _so much_ to see and experience? Am I disappointing God right now? Do the suicidal go to hell? Or is it all the people I'm leaving behind? Should I be thinking about my _family_? My many, many friends? Or wait… I shouldn't seek a permanent solution for a temporary problem. It gets better. Is that what you wanted to say? Did I cover everything yet?"

As Sasuke became angry, his voice gained momentum and volume. It wasn't that he was angry with Naruto. He was angry at the situation, angry at what happened, angry at everything, really. His teeth were clenched and his brows were knit. But at least he was feeling _something_.

Naruto's head was swimming. Normally, talking came to Naruto like breathing. But a man's life was on the line here, and he could hardly put together a coherent sentence. His face was flushed red, and his heart was throbbing.

"I don't want to preach at you, Sasuke. I just want to talk."

Naruto's words somewhat pacified Sasuke, who merely sighed.

"Why did you choose to kill yourself tonight? Why now?"

Sasuke glowered at Naruto, who added sheepishly, "Remember, you have nothing to lose."

Why indulge him? Why would he answer these uncomfortable questions when he didn't really need to? But he had decided to play this one out. After all, it would be his last conversation.

"My brother died today."

The words felt foreign coming from his lips, and they made his chest feel icy and hollow. He had not yet owned these words, distancing them from his person. All of these unpleasant emotions were surfacing while he spoke with Naruto. These were the very things he was trying to avoid by jumping off this bridge.

Naruto didn't want to tell Sasuke how sorry he was. He didn't want to tell Sasuke all the things he already expected to hear. He got the feeling that the minute he started getting preachy or cliché, this guy would be dead in the water beneath their feet. He needed to choose his words carefully.

"He must have meant a lot to you."

Sasuke nodded, frowning lightly.

"Yes."

He was getting somewhere. Sasuke was opening up, if only very slowly. Naruto had to keep a level head. He couldn't allow himself to get discouraged. At that moment, he decided that Uchiha Sasuke would live through the night. Whatever it took, he would save him. He would not let him die.

"How's your family taking it?"

Sasuke grunted, "They're not."

Naruto tilted his head in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"My parents are dead, and I don't have much of an extended family."

Naruto mentally kicked himself for his oversight, but perhaps it was good to get this in the open as well.

"What about your friends?"

"I don't have any friends."

Naruto seemed genuinely confused.

"I'm sorry, but… How could you of all people have no friends? You're practically a celebrity in this town."

Sasuke smirked, shaking his head. What an idealist.

"The more people can get out of you, the more untrustworthy they become. I'm polite because it's prudent, but I don't want any friends."

Slowly, Naruto was beginning to understand Uchiha Sasuke, if only somewhat, and what had brought him to this bridge tonight. Perhaps, if he thought as Sasuke thought and experienced what Sasuke had experienced, he would have been the one sitting on the Golden Gate Bridge, his back to the bay.

"Why do you trust people so little? Your bonds with others can give you something to live for."

The last thing Sasuke wanted was some feel-good speech about how people were good at heart and were all unique little snowflakes. But he _had_ told himself he would humor Naruto, after all. He hesitated before answering, but once he did, his hatred propelled him forward.

"People are capable of anything. They'll backstab, lie, manipulate, whatever they need to do to get what they want. Someone who I thought was a family friend, _my_ friend, killed my parents. So there are no limits. I refuse to live with my head in the clouds."

It blew him away. For years, he had seen Sasuke around work. He'd read about him in press releases and had been forced to watch videos of speeches he gave at industry conferences. He was respected, he was a hard worker, and he was brilliant. Sometimes Naruto even felt guilty for being Sasuke's age and making barely above minimum wage. Sasuke had been merely a suit to him. Just another hotshot with some fairy tale existence, cars, and girls. But the man in front of him wasn't a suit, or a mundane executive, or some anonymous dweller of the top floor. Naruto understood this now. What had Sasuke lived through?

Sasuke could see Naruto beginning to understand his situation, and it made him glad. But it also reminded him of why he was doing this to begin with. He had no family. He had no friends. He was alone. The only things he got out of life were carnal pleasures, but these were not worth the pain that awaited him. Sasuke held the rail with his hands, hopping his feet down to the back of the rail. His entire body was over the side of the bridge now, facing Naruto. He supported himself with only his hands on the top of the rail and his feet on a small rod of metal running along the bridge's expanse. It was thin. If he released his grip on the rail, he'd be dead in seconds.

"Thank you, Naruto, for making my last few minutes of life at least vaguely entertaining. Because I don't want you to see this, I'm giving you a chance to walk away. But if you refuse to leave, I'll do what I have to do."

Naruto's gut dropped, squeezed and clenched by gnarled and prickly fingers. Sasuke was going to jump. He was going to die, right in front of him. He had just gotten to know Uchiha Sasuke, but he was already fascinated by him. He was fascinated by how someone could be so strong yet so fragile at the same time. He was fascinated by his inconsistencies and his extremes, his intensity. He knew there was no talking Sasuke out of this now. He ran towards Sasuke, adrenaline charging his muscles and tendons.

Sasuke let go.

Naruto closed the feet between them quickly, roughly grabbing Sasuke's pale wrist and shirt as Sasuke fell backward. He yanked the man upward with a strength he wasn't aware he possessed. He lifted Sasuke's upper half over the railing, Sasuke's feet connecting with the support rod on the other side of the rail. Sasuke instinctively placed his weight on his feet, bracing against the rail to tug his arm out of Naruto's grip. Naruto guided Sasuke's face into his own and kissed him fiercely.

Naruto didn't know why he had chosen to kiss Sasuke. His emotions had spoken for him. He had been terrified of losing this man that he hardly knew, this man he had so quickly come to cherish. Sasuke at first resisted, his entire frame tense and straight. Perhaps in a similar moment of madness, Sasuke allowed his mouth to open, his tongue lashing back against Naruto's as they kissed desperately and feverishly. Their tongues swirled against each other, teeth bumping slightly in their frenzy.

As Naruto had told Sasuke many times, he had nothing to lose. He had just attempted to jump to his death, so in comparison, kissing Naruto seemed like a very safe decision. All of the emotions that had been hiding behind the veil roared inside him. He felt sadness, loneliness, anger, and hatred, so strong that they threatened to invade his very essence. He poured them into their kiss, biting at Naruto's bottom lip as Naruto's tongue soothingly slid over his own.

He found comfort in this kiss, his emotions finally finding their outlet. Sasuke was silent, but tears had slowly begun to roll down his cheek. They fell down faster as he noticed them, and he could not remember the last time his tears flowed so freely. He gripped the rail tightly, hoisting his body back on firm footing. Sasuke's pain did not diminish as he flattened his hand against Naruto's cheek, their kisses burning like fire. But for the first time in ages, he felt happiness.

As their lips parted, Naruto grasped Sasuke's wrist so tightly that it was sure to bruise. Sasuke's eyelashes were wet, tears soundlessly rolling down his cheeks. Sasuke was surprised to notice that Naruto's eyes were just as wet as his own. Only now was Sasuke beginning to see.

"Please, Sasuke. Think it over. All of this happened only a few hours ago. You're not thinking straight."

Speechless, Sasuke stared back at Naruto with his mouth ajar.

"I can be the person who helps you through this. Please give me a chance. Life can be wonderful. I promise you that. What do you have to lose?"

Sasuke grasped Naruto's hand now, clinging on to it as he clenched his teeth. He hid his face as he began to cry, his body shaking as he attempted silence. He inhaled, slowly counting, calming himself. He tilted his face up towards Naruto, smiling for the first time that night.

"Okay."


End file.
